The other letter is from H. R. Milvain, Master of the Hunt of his own name near Alnwick in Northumberland. He hunted the E.C.H. in 1898, the last year of the High Street kennels.
“1898 was the year I hunted them, my whippers-in being Chapman, A. D. Pilkington and W. Hodgson. Hodgson was laid up for some time in March, and one of the Grenfells usually whipped in instead of him. I am sorry I have no note of the number of hounds I had, but remember had to buy a few at the beginning of the season from Wilton, the dealer at Hanwell—one of them in particular, ‘Windsor,’ was a very good hound. Up till and including my Mastership practically no hounds were bred, and at the end of the season they were taken away to walk by any fellows who could manage them, generally returning to kennel some time during the Christmas Half. I brought about six or seven couples up here during the Christmas holidays, December 1897, and hunted them here. Lock was still kennel huntsman, and hounds were kennelled in the town behind his shop, which wasn’t at all a good arrangement; old Lock did most of the walking out, etc. I think Grenfell, who followed me, got the new kennels built and got Champion as kennel huntsman. Lock by that time was getting old, and couldn’t get about very well. You will probably have the old official diary with accounts of all the hunts, but if not I’ve got it all down in my hunting diary and can give you any more information you want if you let me know. We had a good season and a fair number of hares in most parts of the country.
“The best days I think were Saturday, February 12th, Shepherd’s Hut. Found at once and ran fast for 55 minutes, killing in the open. Found again near river, and running up to Dorney Village turned back over Dorney Common and killed on river bank opposite Water Oakley in 20 minutes.
“Tuesday, March 12th, Shepherd’s Hut. Found Dorney Common, ran fast for 15 minutes, losing her on river bank near Water Oakley. Found again near Dorney and ran hard for 1 hour 10 minutes, having to stop hounds in the dark close to Bray Lock. Had some good days in Hargreaves Park country, too.”
Right up to this time the E.C.H. was rather a scratch concern. Rowland Hunt has established it on a proper basis, and many Masters had shown extraordinarily good sport. But proper kennels and a proper kennelman were needed, as was a definite standard of height, and in the next chapter we shall see how all these difficulties were solved by Francis and Riversdale Grenfell of glorious and honoured memory.
“HOLD HARD!”
CHAPTER VI.
THE GOLDEN AGE, 1899-1914.
It was in 1899 that the Golden Age of the E.C.H. began. Every hunt has had its periods of prosperity, and for fifteen years after this date the sport shown by the E.C.H. was all that could be desired. It was a sudden and unexpected revival, and it may be said to have been entirely due to the energy and keenness of Francis and Riversdale Grenfell, the twin sons of P. du P. Grenfell of Wilton Park, Beaconsfield. The extraordinary career of these two boys has already been portrayed by John Buchan. Two more gallant Englishmen never lived. As a life-long friend of theirs wrote, “I would gladly do anything to keep their memory alive.”